The U.S. Senate may be poised to pass a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill with bipartisan support this week and avoid a government shutdown but one section of the legislation may draw the attention of those skeptical about COVID-19 vaccines.
The spending bill provides for more than $15 million for administrative expenses for the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Trust Fund, which provides funding for the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. That program is designed to “compensate vaccine-related injury or death petitions for covered vaccines administered on or after October 1, 1988,” according to the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA).
Republican Representative Dan Bishop pointed to that section of the omnibus spending bill as part of a series of tweets on Tuesday that offered a critique of the government funding plan. “Last year’s administrative expenses for the vax injury trust fund were $13.2 million— now it’s $15.2 million,” Bishop said. “That’s a 15% increase. Anticipating a 15% increase in vaccine injuries?” “It also authorizes ‘sums as may be necessary’ for vaccine injury/death claims,” he added.